Fountain-pen.



Patented Oct. I6, |900.

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Situaties PATENT OFFICE.

LE ROY HOOKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR rlO THE RAND MCNALLY &COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659.925, dated October16, 1900. Application filed August 3l, 1899. Serial lilog 729,141. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, t 'lrtrtg/ concern:

Be it known that I, LE ROY HOOKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountain-Pens, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a practicalfountain-pen of simple construction; and to this end the inventionconsists in the features of novelty that are herein described.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of thisspecification, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a fountain-penembodying the invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are respectively anelevation, a longitudinal section, and a perspective view of the penproper.

The barrel or reservoir may be of any desired construction. As shown inthe drawings it consists of a tubular part A, permanently closed at oneend and open at the other, and a second tubular part B, open at bothends and having at one end threads for engaging corresponding threads onthe part A, whereby the two parts are secured together. The cavity ofthe partAabove the partB is known as the reservoir, and the cavity orpassage of the part B, which is somewhat contracted as compared with thecavity of the part A, is known as the throat C represents the penproper, which may be of any desired material or any desired length,though preferably not sufficiently long to extend into the reservoir.Its novel characteristics are a shank which tits the throat snugly andwhich preferably embraces about two hundred and forty degrees of acircle, and a pair of tongues c3, which join the shank above the slit c,separating the nibs, and which are bent inward, so that one lies againstthe under side of each nib, the tongues being of sufticient length toproject downward past the upper end of the slit c. In practice the shankof the pen is inserted in the throat far enough to carry the upper endof the slit c into the throat. In this position the tongues c3 form apocket or barrier which partially closes the throat (within the compassof the shank) and elt'ectually prevents ink from flowing out of thethroat under the influence of gravity, al-

though it does not prevent the free flowing ot ink under the combinedinfluences ol gravity and capillary attraction when in the process ofwriting the nibs demand a supply of ink. Actual practice has shown thatwith this pocket or barrier partially closing the throat, leaving,however, a sufficient space for the admission of air to the throat, thesupply of ink to the nibs of the pen is exactly equal to the quantitydemanded. The quantity demanded depends, of course, upon the degree ofpressure upon the pen, and consequently the extent to which the nibs arespread, and it is because ot the constant presence ot' an abundantsupply of ink in immediate contact with the under side of the nibs attheir upper parts that the supply to the points of the nibs isautomatically regulated and accommodates itself to their varyingdemands. It will be observed that the tongues c3 join the pen at a pointwhere it is practically in` flexible (preferably above the slit c) andthat they are deflected inward, so as to lie immediately beneath and inclose proximity to the uppor portions of the nibs. YVith thisarrangement they do not partake of the movement of the nibs, but, on thecontrary, as the nibs move in the process of writing the interspacebetween them and the tongues varies. Excepting for these tongues and theshank of the pen, which conforms closely to the inner wall of thethroat, so that no ink can pass downward on the top side of the pen, thethroat is entirely open and unobstructed. These tongues are thereforethe only means for preventing the ink from flowing out of the throatunder the influence of gravity alone. In order that they may accomplishthis result, it is necessary that the pen be inserted far enough toenable them to partially close the throat. In the drawings I have shownthe pen as being inserted to such a point that the bases of the tonguesare within the throat, while their free ends are below the throat; butwithin the range above suggested this position may be departed from.

It will be observed that the tongues are the result of slits cut in theblank and that they join the shank at practically diametricallyoppositepoints.

By making the shank of the pen conform IOC) 2 etae to the throat the inkis prevented from {iowing downward on ,the top of the pen and the entirethroat is left practically unobstructed excepting for the tongues c3, asalready described.

D is a loose piston placed in the reservoir. It may be of wood, cork,metal, soft rubber, or other material (preferably soft rubber) and maybe of the same or of greater or less specific gravity than the ink. Itisbelieved that exchange of ink for air in the process of writing,especially when the reservoir contains only a small quantity of ink.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fountain-pen having, in combination, a reservoir, a throat, and apen, said pen having a shank occupying the throat, nibs separated by aslit, and a pair of tonguesl joining the pen at a point where it ispractically inflexible so that they do not partake of the movement ofthe nibs, said tongues being i bent inward so that they lie immediatelybeneath theupper portions of the nibs and form a pocket or barrier, thepen beingl so disposed that said pocket or barrier partially closesv thethroat, substantially as set forth.

2. A fountain-pen having, in combination, a reservoir, a throat, and apen, said pen having a shank occupying the throat, nibs sepa.- rated bya slit, and a pair of tongues joining the shank above the slit andextending downward past the upper end of the slit, said tongues beingbent inward so that they lie immediately beneath the upper portions ofthe nibs and form a. pocket or barrier,y the pen being so disposed thatsaid pocket or barrier partially closes the throat, substantially as setforth.

3. A fountain-pen having, ill-combination, a reservoir, a throat, and apen, said pen having a shank occupying the throat, nibs separated by aslit, and a pair of tongues joining the shank above the slit atpractically diametrically opposite points and extending downward pastthe upper end of the slit, said tongues being bent inward beneath theupper portions of the nibs so as to form a pocket or barrier, Ithe penbeing so disposed that said pocket or barrier partially closes thethroat,

y substantially as set forth. this loose piston controls and regulatesthe 4. A fountain-pen having, in combination, a reservoir, a throat, anda pen, said pen havingashankoccupyingand conforming closely tothethroat, nibs separated by a slit, and a pair of tongues joining theshank above the slit and extending downward past the upper end of theslit, said tongues being bent inward beneath the upper portions of thenibs s or as to form, a pocket or barrier, the pen being so disposedthat the said pocket or barrier partially closes the throat,substantially as set forth.

5. A fountain-pen having, in combination, a reservoir, a throat, and apen, said pen having av shank occupying the throat and conformingclosely to the inner wall thereof, and embracing at least one hundredand eighty degrees of a circle, nibs separated by a slit, and a pai roftongues joining the shank above the slit at practicallydiametrically-opposite points and extendingy downward past the upper endof the slit, said tongues being bent inward beneath the upper portionsof the nibs` so as to. form a pocket or barrier, the pen being sodisposed that the said pocket or barrier partially closes the throat,substantially as set forth.

LE ROY HOOKER.

Witnesses:

BERTHA C. SIMS, L. M. HOPKINS.

